There exists numerous conventional fluid filters for removing contaminants from liquids, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,720,322 and 4,187,179. One particular style of fluid filter, such as those used in drinking water and swimming pool filtration systems, includes a generally cylindrical tank housing with removable cartridge filters, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,561,979 and 5,316,677. The cartridge filters are formed from a filter media positioned between bottom and top plates. Fluids are filtered by directing the fluids into the tank, passing the fluids through the filter media, and expelling the filtered fluids through an outlet tube in the cartridge filter.
Tanks typically have one or more filter cartridges positioned therein. Often times, filter cartridges receive unequal usage and unequal amounts of kinetic energy and dirt loading. Typically, cartridges within a filter system are replaced at the same time. Replacing cartridges having unequal usage inevitably means that cartridges are replaced with unused cleaning capacity. Typically, the kinetic energy of the water flow is not equally distributed throughout the filter cartridge, and thus the filter cartridge receives unequal amounts of wear and tear. Thus, a more efficient filter system is needed.